BACKGROUND: Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is always regarded as the golden standard for diagnosis of intracranial aneurysm; however, the procedure is complex, traumatic, expensive and easy to induce vascular complication. Three-dimensional computed tomography angiography (3D-CTA) can make up deficiencies of DSA; therefore, it is used in clinical therapy wider and wider.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect of 3D-CTA on disruption and hemorrhage of intracranial aneurysm pre- and post-operation and compare with the effect of DSA.DESIGN: Auto-control contrast observation.SETTING: Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University.PARTICIPANTS: A number of 106 patients with disruption and hemorrhage of intracranial aneurysm were selected from the Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from January 2003 to April 2006. All patients were diagnosed with cranial operation and consent. There were 47 males and 59 females aged from 3-76 years with the mean age of (47±13) years. Among them, 82 patients had extensive subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), 7 had hemorrhage at longitudinal fissure, and 17 had hemorrhage at ambiens cistema and lateral fissure. Moreover, intraventricular hematocele was accompanied on 13 patients and hematom on 9 patients. METHODS: ① 3D-CTA examination: Siemens SOMATOM Sensation 64 CT was used in this study. The thickness was 1 mm and interval of reconstruction was 0.8 mm. Localizing section was plainly scanned as the standard of canthus line. Scan ranged from 30 mm below sella to 50 mm above sella. Non-ion contrast medium of Omnipaque 350 (concentration of iodine was 350 g/L) was inserted into anterior vein of elbow with 18G trochar retained with high-pressured injectoc pum. The speed was 4.5 mL/s and the total volume was 80-100 mL with the means of 90 mL. Scan started at 10-20 s after injection of contrast medium. Original image was dealt with Leonardo workstation and retreated with Syngo software. Volume rendering and maximum intensity projection were used to reconstructed images. ② All 106 patients suffered from occlusion of aneurysm clamp. Before operation, 3D-CTA was undertaken and DSA was followed. After operation, patients were rechecked with 3D-CTA.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparisons between 3D-CTA and DSA.RESULTS: All 106 patients were involved in the final analysis. ① Examination of 3D-CTA and DSA: Among 118 patients with aneurysm, 110 were checked with 3D-CTA and the detected rate was 93.2% (110/118). Among other 8 cases, 3 were negative and checked again with DSA; 1 had pericallosal aneurysm, 1 ophthalmic aneurysm, and 1 anterior choroidal artery of aneurysm. 3D-CTA results of other 5 cases were suspicious, and then, they were regarded as having aneurysm with DSA. Before operation, correlation among site, body, neckof aneurysm and peripheral anatomic structure were shown sufficiently. After operation, 82 patients were rechecked with 3D-CTA, which was complete occlusion, precise, unobvious constriction, emphraxis or remainsas compared with 3D-CTA those pre-operation. ② Characteristics of 3D-CTA: With multiple vessels and angles, 3D-CTA observed the relationship between aneurysm neck and carried artery and showed thrombosis in cavity of aneurysm, calcification of aneurysm wall and peripheral structure of vessel at the same time. However, DSA could not detect the reactions mentioned above. It could delete image of cranium, simulate image of operative route, eliminate artifact induced by metal, but not distinguish blood stream direction. Meanwhile, posterior communicating artery was always poor during circle of Willis artery showing.CONCLUSION: ① 3D-CTA is characterized by simple operation and non-invasive showing vascular stereo structure and correlation. Therefore, it is significant for diagnosis and designing plan of operative approach and focal location pre-operation and evaluating effect post-operation. ② 3D-CTA does not completely replace DSA on the diagnosis of intracranial aneurysm.